


Snow Ducks

by KucatsHouse



Category: The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Clary Fray & Alec Lightwood Friendship, Fluff, Gen, Post-Book Series: The Dark Artifices, Post-Book Series: The Infernal Devices, Post-Book Series: The Mortal Instruments
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-17
Updated: 2019-05-17
Packaged: 2020-03-06 23:30:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18861154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KucatsHouse/pseuds/KucatsHouse
Summary: Jace challenges his nephews to a snowball fight - and gets more than he bargained for.





	Snow Ducks

**Author's Note:**

> Characters and story concept the property of Cassandra Clare.
> 
> Short fiction inspired by a video on Tumblr. This story was written in the span of an hour and is meant to be a slice-of-life humorous story.

When the boys awoke the next morning, bright eyed and eager, they were delighted to find nearly a foot and a half of snow had fallen over night. It was the soft, powdery kind of snow, white and gleaming in the weak sunlight - and it was still coming down in fat, thick flakes. It was the perfect kind of snow for a snowball fight, a battle Jace had promised them would take place if the conditions were right.

_“It’ll be Herondales versus Lightwoods!” he had exclaimed the night before when the snow had first started falling.  
_

_“Lightwood-Banes,” Rafe had quietly corrected him, but Jace wasn’t listening. He and Max were staring out the window excitedly, watching the flakes fall.  
_

_“We Herondales are masters at snowball fights.”  
_

_“We?” Alec had asked._

_“Me and Kit, of course.”_

_“Do you even know if Kit has ever been in a snowball fight? The kid grew up in LA.”  
_

_“He’ll be a natural,” Jace had replied confidently. “You’ll see.”  
_

_“Aren’t you technically a Lightwood too?” Alec was used to his parabatai’s enthusiasm, but even this was a little much.  
_

_“Not tomorrow! Tomorrow we Herondales are going to decimate the Lightwoods.”_

_“Lightwood-Banes,” Rafe sighed._

It had been difficult to get the kids to bed that night with the prospect of their first snowball fight. Alec’s phone had been pinging almost non-stop since sunrise with Jace’s texts. The agreed upon time had been set for 10 am at the park near the loft. So excited were they that Alec had a difficult time getting the boys settled for breakfast and getting them dressed. 

“Thank the Angel,” he murmured as the blue sparks indicating an opening Portal floated through the loft. Within moments, Magnus stepped through, holding a strange yellow device that resembled a giant pair of plastic scissors. 

“Hey my lovelies!” Magnus greeted, kneeling down to kiss both his boys. “Ready to beat Uncle Jace today?”

“Rweady!” Max yelled enthusiastically. Rafe’s curls bobbed with his vigorous head nodding.

“Then you might need this.” Magnus handed the yellow contraption over to Rafe.

“What is it?” Alec asked as the boys looked over the strange device. Rafe’s eyes started to shimmer with comprehension as he turned the thing over in his hands.

“Some weird thing Elyaas wanted me to pick up for him, though what he’s going to do with it I have no idea. But the boys can use it until we summon him again.” 

Alec took the device from Rafe, inspecting it closely. He looked up at Magnus, the two of them sharing a mischievous grin before getting the boys ready.

*****

The snow fall had increased just enough to cover the opening of the Portal in the park. Out stepped Jace Herondale, his golden hair shining above his dark winter gear, a broad grin on his face. Behind him trudged Kit Herondale next to Clary Fairchild, the pair of them with identical expressions of puzzlement on their faces. The smell of the English countryside followed them just before the Portal closed.

“All right, you little monsters!” Jace was saying loudly as he leaned over, scooping up a huge handful of snow. He began to pack it into a tight ball as he looked around for his nephews. “Prepare to be destroyed, Ligh…” He broke off, tanned face going pale at the sight before him.

Max and Rafe were side-by-side, grinning at Jace behind a mound of prepared snowballs. There were at least three dozen snowballs of varying sizes and shapes - and some of them were distinctly duck shaped. Max had in his little mittened hands a very clearly duck shaped snowball.

Jace heard a snort behind him. He turned to find Clary attempting to cover her giggle and Kit looking both amused and puzzled at the same time.

“What in Raziel’s name is this?!” Jace’s voice had gone up a notch as his eyes flicked between the boys and their arsenal. He looked over to Magnus, who was leaning very casually against a tree nearby. As Jace watched, the warlock waved the strange yellow device at him, the ends of it a duck shaped mold.

“I think it’s supposed to be for making fun shaped foods,” Magnus explained casually, “but this is a much better use for it.”

“That isn’t fair!”

“All’s fair in snowball fights,” Magnus said before Rafe started racing for Jace, two duck shaped snowballs in his hands. Jace attempted to dart behind a nearby statue for cover until he noticed the row of snow ducks lining its edges; he backpedaled and just missed being pelted with a snow duck from Rafe.

“Alec!” Jace called, darting behind a tree. “Help me out here!”

Alec sat casually on a nearby bench, a dark blanket across his lap, sipping from a cup of coffee. “Lightwoods versus Herondales, remember?” He grinned, holding out another cup to Clary who came to join him on the bench.

Jace scowled at them both, throwing a snowball at Rafe. “Betrayed by my own parabatai!” 

A little wail brought all the adults to a stop. Max, in his attempt to run after Jace and Rafe, had tripped in the deep snow, falling face first into the powder. He was having a time standing again due to the many layers he was wearing. He was just starting to cry when a pair of hands lifted him out and up. Max blinked in confusion as he was settled onto someone’s shoulders. Looking down, he found blue eyes and pale blonde hair gazing back at him. Kit grinned to Max, before turning towards Jace, his intent very clear on his face.

“Betrayed by my parabatai AND by my blood?!” Jace yelled incredulously. 

“Oh ho, Herondale versus Herondale!” Magnus exclaimed, pulling out his phone. “Now this I have to video and send to Tessa!”

“Never mess with the Lightwoods,” Alec murmured into his coffee cup, watching as Rafe and Kit chased after Jace. Max was throwing snow ducks while holding onto Kit’s hood. Clary merely nodded in agreement, the pair watching the spectacle before them.

*****

Meanwhile, on the heavenly plane…

He watched the fight unfold in the world below, incredulity mixed with betrayal all over his face.

“That is unbecoming of gentlemen!” Will shouted to no one in particular. He spun around, glaring daggers. “Lightworm! Your descendant is utterly conniving!”

Gabriel grinned, casually slipping his hands into his pockets. “I know,” he replied. “And he’s Consul. Oh, did I forget to mention that before? A Lightwood is the Consul now.”

“You might have mentioned it…a hundred times already.” Will’s scowl darkened at Gabriel’s pleased look. “Still, it’s a Herondale who is considered a war hero and…” If it were possible, Will’s shriek might have been heard on the earthly plane as a snow duck materialized in Gabriel’s palm. “Keep that monstrosity away from me, Lightworm! Jem! Tessa!” His ghostly form dissipated, escaping from the fowl-shaped atrocity.

“Never mess with the Lightwoods.”


End file.
